Andoni Iraola did not mince words after Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Anfield: if Alexander Isak had gone to the ground when Jurrien Timber grabbed his shirt, Liverpool would have had a penalty. So from now on, he will tell his players to dive.
Character Name (Credits: BBC Sport)
The incident came in the first half with Liverpool trailing to Kai Havertz’s opener. Bradley Barcola crossed the ball, Isak went to head it in front of goal — and Timber grabbed his shirt. The striker stayed on his feet, referee Andy Madley waved play on, and VAR official Stuart Attwell decided the tug was not enough to overturn the call.
Why Andoni Iraola Says Isak Must Go Down Next Time
“There is a clear grab of the shirt,” Iraola told Match of the Day. “Alex was just in front of him, he was going to head in front of the goal but couldn’t because he grabbed the shirt. If he goes to the floor, they call the penalty 100%.”
Asked directly whether he would instruct Isak to hit the deck in future, the Liverpool boss was blunt: “Yes, definitely. The answer is you have to dive, if you don’t dive they won’t call it.”
In his news conference, Iraola admitted the irony was painful: referees complain about players going down all the time, but when an honest player stays on his feet, nothing is given. “I think Alex is honest. He tries to go for the ball, everyone can see live straight away that there is a clear, clear pull,” he said, adding that an apology from the refereeing body would change nothing.
Arsenal Got Lucky at Anfield, Say Pundits
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy called it a pivotal moment, saying Arsenal got lucky and that VAR should have taken another look. Gary Neville noted that, for a centre-forward, Isak’s honest reaction was unusual — he turned and spoke to Timber instead of appealing.
The understanding behind the no-call is that the shirt pull was seen as a slight tug rather than sustained holding, which is why play continued. Liverpool also had a second appeal waved away when Cody Gakpo went down under pressure from Christos Tzolis. The result sent Arsenal clear at the top — and Liverpool’s boss home with a lesson he now plans to teach.
Also Read: Arsenal Beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield: First Win in 14 Years Sends Gunners Three Points Clear | Liverpool vs Arsenal Player Ratings: Havertz Strike Wins It as Alisson Error Costs Hosts at Anfield
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
